The Internet has developed into an extremely rich source of information and electronic commerce. In fact, the Internet has produced the situation referred to as information overload, where there is so much information available that the ability to find the best or most relevant information has become of paramount importance. Much effort has therefore been devoted to search engine technology that analyzes and ranks search results to provide search results with the most relevant information at the top of the list. Product or content reviews are another mechanism used to rank and qualify documents and other materials. Techniques for review and ranking electronic content have become quite sophisticated, taking into account factors such as the number of reviews, the subject matter areas of a particular reviewing party, the area of expertise of the reviewing party, the rank or perceived credibility of the reviewing party in the relevant area, and so forth. As potential customers and search engines increasingly rely on sophisticated electronic content ranking and review systems, the need for effective ranking systems for electronic content continues to develop.
The Internet has also developed into an extremely platform for conducting electronic commerce. All types of products and services can be advertised and in may cases sold or performed electronically. The ability to assess the quality of a product or service prior to purchase online can be challenging, as the product or service must often be purchased sight unseen. This is often the case even for electronic content, such as books, music and educational materials sold online Online shippers can find it difficult to locate quality assessment information that they feel comfortable relying upon. The lack of credible quality assessment information can depress the dissemination of information regarding high quality, beneficial products and services while providing predatory opportunities for unscrupulous vendors. In generally, improved dissemination of credible quality assessment information improves the efficiency of the electronic commerce marketplace, improves customer satisfaction, and promotes vendors of high quality goods and services. There is, therefore, a continuing need for the provision of credible quality assessment information in the electronic commerce marketplace.
Therefore, a continuing need exists for more effective methods and systems for providing credible quality assessment information in the electronic commerce marketplace.